Earl Richard Downes

Earl Richard Downes, born 26 June 1947 in Bangor Maine, passed away from natural causes on 2 Jan 2024 in Georgetown, TX. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin, and friend, his younger years were spent striving for victory on the football field where he was Co-Captain of his high school team. Off the field, he discovered his passion for knowledge and sought to broaden his horizons beyond his hometown. As a high school exchange student sent to Ecuador under auspices of the American Field Service in 1964, he dedicated his life to improving relations between the United States and Latin America. After graduating from Bangor High School in 1965, he attended the USAF Academy, graduating in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Latin American Studies. He later earned an M.A. in Latin America Studies from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. in Latin American History from the University of Texas at Austin. He spoke fluent Spanish and Portuguese. In 1971 he married the former Natividad Lara del Cid of David, Panama.

Throughout his professional military career Dr. Downes served in a variety of positions related to Latin America as a military officer, civilian educator, and private sector activist. For 23 years, he specialized in Latin America security issues as a U.S. Air Force public affairs officer, military educator, and politico-military affairs officer, including four years in the J-5 Western Hemisphere Division of the Joint Staff. His responsibilities included representing the Joint Staff on the International Economics Policy Coordinating Committee, devising Joint Staff positions for the Brady Debt Relief Plan and post-conflict reconstruction aid to Panama, and planning and overseeing annual U.S.-Brazil security consultations. From 1986 to 1988, he was the political adviser to the Commander, U.S. Forces Azores, responsible for all interaction with the U.S. Embassy, Lisbon, the Azorean Government, and the Government of Portugal.

Upon retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1992, he served for six years as Director of Communications and Senior Research Associate at the University of Miami’s North-South Center, overseeing a communications and database development budget on inter-American relations with a $2.2M annual budget and a full and part-time staff of 43 employees. He led the transition of the publications program from a vanity press to a peer-reviewed, university-style press and negotiated a marketing agreement with a nationally-respected publisher. He taught at Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (CHDS), a unit of the National Defense University, in Washington DC from 1998 to 1999. He then joined the wireless telecommunications industry to direct programs related to technology-based interaction between North America and Latin American and the Caribbean. He planned and carried out a pioneering commercial seminar on wireless data in the Americas, was instrumental in finalizing a consensus on international roaming standards for a popular wireless technology, and advocated coordinated assignment of radio spectrum for wireless services throughout the Americas.

From 2004 to 2006, he served as a sales director for a consulting subsidiary of Deutsch Telekom and as a private consultant for the telecommunications industry in Latin America.

He returned to academic pursuits and CHDS in 2006. Prior to relocating to Georgetown, Texas, in 2009, he was Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at CHDS. He was responsible for courses, workshops and simulation exercises teaching oversight and management of defense institutions to participants from throughout the Americas, supervising a team of six U.S. and international scholars. In 2010, he served as the contractor's team lead and chief investigator for 14-person team analyzing Ecuador's northern border for the U.S. Department of State. While retired, he continued writing and researching on U.S. - Latin American relations, focusing on Brazil. He is the editor of five published books and author of several peer-reviewed journal articles regarding Latin America.

In his personal life, Dr. Downes continuously cultivated his passion for international experiences and often traveled with Natividad, friends and family throughout the globe, including honoring his father’s WWII campaign by retracing his footsteps through Europe based on journals & letters home. Dr. Downes treasured his relationships with his dear friends and enjoyed reminiscing about past adventures.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 53 years, three children: Mrs. Kathleen Lusardi of Darlington, South Carolina., Stephen E. Downes of Bradenton, Florida, and Michael A. Downes of Altendorf, Switzerland, as well as 11 grandchildren. He is also survived by sister Judith Crosby of Orono, ME and brothers Philip of Sydney, ME and Gary of Harpswell, ME.

A visitation will be held Monday, January 15, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home, 2900 Williams Drive, Georgetown, TX 78628. Additionally, a funeral mass will occur Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 10:00 AM at the USAFA Community Chapel, 5134 Cathedral Dr, Air Force Academy, CO 80840, followed by interment at the USAFA Cemetery. As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to the Kindey Cancer Association in honor of the deceased.

An astute academic of noble character. His memory will be cherished by all who knew him.